Over time, I will add resources to this website that will help you explore the night sky. And if you are a teacher, you will find the resources helpful in your teaching of some sections of the Australian Curriculum: Science Earth & Space Sciences component. Amazing Space! Student Newsletter Download a free ‘Amazing […]
Introduction Heavens-Above.com provides free customised information for your location including whole sky star charts, predictions for the visibility of the International Space Station and other satellites (including Iridium flares). Bookmarks for all capital cities are provided below. If you are located elsewhere, you can customise one of the below links to your location. […]
Given that we are so time poor, I have added a couple of pages listing resources on this site according to where they ‘fit’ in the Australian Curriculum (Science). Keep in mind that a number of the activities can be modified for use at different year levels. If you are running a lunchtime science club, I […]
Look for Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and the Moon in evening twilight tonight
Send to Kindle(Posted 4 September 2016) Don’t panic if you didn’t miss last month’s close encounter between Venus and Jupiter, don’t panic. Firstly, you can ‘just’ still see Mercury and Jupiter in the evening twilight below Venus and the crescent Moon. You will need a clear sky and low horizon tonight. Binoculars are highly recommended […]
Gold Coast sky watchers! Look up Sunday night. Mars at opposition and Space Station to zip overhead.
Send to Kindle(Posted 18 May 2016) This Sunday (22 May 2016) is going to be a busy one for casual sky watchers on the Gold Coast (Queensland, Australia)! The International Space Station is going to pass directly overhead and the planet Mars will reach opposition on the same night. As an added bonus , the […]
Live in Southern Canberra? Tuesday night watch a dazzling Iridium flare and see three planets!
Send to Kindle(Update 17 May 2016) To my surprise, there was a second Iridium flare. I rechecked the Heavens-Above.com website and discovered there was a ‘fainter’ Iridium flare predicted that I had not noticed. The brighter flare was from the Iridium 54 satellite and reached magnitude -7.4. The second flare eight seconds later reached ‘only’ […]
RT @Astro_Alex: #Sydney from a distance. Great mem…
RT @Astro_Alex: #Sydney from a distance. Great memories. This is where I ended my first big backpacking trip around the world.… twitter.com/i/web/status/7…
RT @AsteroidEnergy: “The bill requires that NASA m…
RT @AsteroidEnergy: “The bill requires that NASA make it an official goal to send crewed missions to Mars in the next 25 years.” futurism.com/its-official-w…
RT @ESA_Rosetta: Preparing for my #CometLanding in…
RT @ESA_Rosetta: Preparing for my #CometLanding in 6 days… That’s how @Philae2014 got ready for his own #OnceUponATime youtu.be/AvkPFXdpOQQ #67Pmemories
(Free) On-line ‘Earth & Space Science’ P.D. opportunity 27 February 2016
Send to Kindle(Posted 19 January 2016) I am looking for 9 teachers interesting in taking part in a free online Australian Curriculum (Science) workshop titled ‘Exploring my Universe Collecting data first hand in 2016’. I am running the workshop to see how practical it is to offer Australia wide training using Google Hangout as the communication […]
Horizon sunrise and sunset horizon recording chart
On this page, you can download a southern hemisphere ‘Sunrise and sunset horizon recording Chart’. The PDF version has a second page with sample answers provided for the Gold Coast, Queensland. Further information about how to use the chart is on it. Download the chart: Horizon_sunrise_and_sunset_recording_chart You are free to reproduce and distribute this resource […]
Weird star ….or why is that star changing colour?
Send to Kindle(Posted 10 November 2015) I occasionally get emails (like the one below) about why a star near the horizon is changing colour. Googling the question gets you the answer of atmospheric turbulence (ie wind in the upper atmosphere). Click here for a sample result. When visiting schools in Canberra with the planetarium I use, […]
Say goodbye to Mercury and Jupiter (photo). The planetary sky show is over.
Send to Kindle(Posted 4 September 2016) The evening planet twilight show has well and truly ended with both Mercury and Jupiter lost in the evening twilight for casual sky watchers. I couldn’t see Mercury with my unaided eyes and it was only just visible in the images I took. I could see Jupiter but it […]
Gotcha! Venus and Jupiter photographed during the day during close encounter (photo)
Send to Kindle(Posted 28 August 2016) Image taken with Samsung Galaxy 6 mobile phone using the afocal photographic technique through my eight inch telescope.
Mercury, Venus and Jupiter dazzle in the evening twilight (photo)
Send to Kindle(Posted 27 August 2016) Make sure you are taking a couple of minutes over the next few nights to look at the unfolding planetary close encounter that is happening between Mercury, Venus and Jupiter. No telescope is required. Just look to the West as the sky darkens (6.30 pm AEST for most of […]